Vilification
by Orifiel
Summary: A consuming mania, a pursuit for penance, a twisted fixation, the sweetest vengeance. After several bitter, calculating years, Neji instigates his ruthless hunt for Hinata on the first day of the coldest winter.


**Notes:** _AU_. _One-shot._

**A/N:** This is an alternate take on the Hyuuga clan's history, centering on Neji's mental state after his father's death and his obsession with taking his revenge and animosity out on Hinata. Take note that this story has a very prominent psychological theme, so my portrayal of Neji's motivation and way of thinking may be bewildering to some readers. Still, I hope you give it a chance and find interest in this depiction of the Hyuuga cousins.

x-x-x-x-x

_Neji's teeth gritted together and his body began to tremble with unspoken rage as the funeral procession went on. Across the way, Hiashi Hyuuga stood to speak a few words, his face stony and neutral. A wave of murderous intent built up in the young boy's body upon the sight of his late father's twin brother._

_Somehow, some way, he would avenge Hizashi's death. Even if it took months or years, he was willing to bide his time to find the main family's weakest points._

_His eyes flickered to his four-year-old cousin Hinata, the future heiress of the clan._

x-x-x-x-x

The figure would have blended fully with the dark winter sky, had the moonlight not cast beams down upon the snowy ground to reflect on the alabaster skin. Though the snowflakes fluttered down continually in inconsistent patterns, not one touched the body of the tall young man standing on the outskirts of the city. His eyes glimmered in pure iniquity as he inhaled slightly to catch the revoltingly sweet scent.

_Her_ scent.

The heat radiating from his body burned from his soul, flaring to envelop what minimal heart he had left. The anguish and misery had perpetually gnawed away at his humanity as the years had gone by, leaving only the faintest traces of acknowledgement for morality and judgment. By all rights, the hatred inside should have consumed his psyche by now, but the will for retribution and vengeance… this intense determination retained the remnants of his sanity.

Containing the hellfire within was a façade of bitter stone, a harsh and merciless exterior that held no regard for life, death, or purgatory. To attain one goal, to seek the blood… this was what he lived for.

His mind, twisted and perverse as it was, possessed the exceeding intelligence of the hunter. The predator.

And he was coming for her.

x-x-x-x-x

_"Neji-niisan..." a meek voice said from behind him._

_He ignored her and continued his taijutsu assault on the training dummy. His body felt no fatigue despite the grueling hours of daily training he'd committed himself to for the past few years. The bruises and scars on his limbs were insignificant compared to those embedded in his heart._

_He finished his combo attack and stood there breathing heavily, drenched in sweat. She took the opportunity to come closer, holding a glass of water nervously. When he cast a sideways glance at her, she blushed and held out the glass to him._

_The innocence in her pearl eyes highlighted her angelic face. She was a tiny doll of a girl, reverberating sweetness and naïve benevolence._

_It sickened him._

_In one quick motion, he slapped the glass out of her hands. It went flying, the water making a wide arc in the air before the glass shattered audibly on the ground. She jumped, startled, and he rushed her, shoving her roughly against the wall. Pinning her arms next to her head, he glared down at her porcelain features as the scent of freesia from her hair surrounded them._

_She stared back at him fearfully and uttered a whimper when he began to squeeze her wrists hard enough to break them. But among the terror she exhibited, there was something else in her expression. Even as he clearly had the upper hand, he immediately sensed it._

_Superiority._

_The curse mark on his forehead activated at once, loosening his grip on her and painfully bringing him to his knees. She watched him silently, still shaken but relieved to have control over his aggression. Before he could recover, she bolted away. He glowered in the direction she had gone once the sharp pain began to subside, furious and resentful that someone as weak as her had power over him._

_"I'll kill you… Hinata-sama…"_

x-x-x-x-x

Veins pulsating with blood, muscles exerting with power, sharp eyes seeing clearly in the night…

For him, there was no such thing as peace, contentment, or joy. Not while she continued to breathe. Although he had not seen her in approximately three years, it was logical to infer that her life was superior in condition to his. Living comfortably at the Hyuuga main house, with stability, with success, with health…

No longer did he find it acceptable to allow her this unmerited life while he suffered in stark contrast. The cruelty of fate, the negligence of God… what had he done to deserve this cursed destiny? Tormented and afflicted with grief, he had finally decided.

He needed to take her, ravage her, break her…

He had to destroy her.

"Byakugan."

x-x-x-x-x

_His footsteps were soundless as he crept to her bedside, his fingers clenched tightly around the kunai. She was fast asleep, blissfully ignorant of the danger closing in on her in the form of the ten-year-old boy. He watched her pale face for a moment more before leaning forward to tug at her tousled bangs._

"_Everything is your fault," he said quietly, "because you were born."_

_Her eyes fluttered open. She turned toward him, blinking away her sleep and attempting to focus on his silhouette in front of the window. "Neji-niisan?"_

_He placed a finger over her mouth and straightened to tower over her, his other hand hiding the kunai behind his back. She gazed up at him curiously._

"_Good bye, Hinata-sama."_

_His movement was as fast as lightning, one sweep that would slit her throat open. Only, the kunai made it as far as pricking one side of her neck… because her movement was even faster. He froze in shock as he felt her soft hand press against his cheek, her touch cool to his heated skin. She held it there as she continued to gaze at him, an unreadable quality in her eyes. He was reeling from the speed of her action, unable to fathom how she had moved that quickly. As a drop of blood trickled out from the shallow puncture in her neck, his hand uncurled around the kunai, letting it fall to the bed._

_They remained in their positions, unmoving as they stared at each other. He was still bent over her when she brought her other hand up to brush his long dark hair away from his face. Then, gingerly, her arms wrapped around his neck, and she pulled him closer to her. The scent of freesia invaded his senses as his nose touched her hair fanned out over her pillow. Slowly, she turned her head so her lips were next to his ear._

"_Neji-niisan…" she whispered. "I'm already dead."_

_His breath caught in his throat._

_Before he could process her words any further, the door crashed open and he jerked upright with a start. Hiashi appeared in the doorway, his chakra visibly encircling him in ominous torrents. In a flash, Neji experienced crippling pain spreading out from his forehead._

_He backed away from the bed and clamped his hands over his head as he once again fell to the mercy of the branch family curse mark._

x-x-x-x-x

Faster he ran, his feet barely touching the snowy ground as he closed in on his target's location.

The only passion he felt was for the life of the other; to grasp it, own it, and ultimately end it. Simply the thought was sheer rapture to his nearly insane mentality.

There had been a time, he could vaguely remember, when he had truly loved her. With his entire being he cherished and adored her, for she had been his closest friend during their early childhood. He would have done anything for her, would have revered her and the ground she walked on.

However…

The day his father had died was the day his eyes had been opened. The main family was corrupt enough as it was, but if it hadn't been for her… if it hadn't been for her existence, Hizashi would still be alive. Her kidnapping had set all the events in motion, and she had always been too weak to stand up against any opponent. In the end, his father paid that price.

And so his fondness for her changed. It became distorted, depraved… eventually morphing into the most malevolent hate. The ending resulted in total cataclysm. A blackened soul, a malicious outlook, a merciless pervasion…

A rival to the devil himself.

The freezing temperature of the cold night had no effect on him whatsoever. With his Byakugan activated, he could make out her presence inside the Hyuuga compound. He would be upon her soon.

December 1st. The day of her death.

x-x-x-x-x

"_Hinata-sama… please give the order."_

_The council was looking at her expectantly. She sat anxiously at the head of the table, her father next to her. Neji watched her from the other side of the room, his wrists and ankles bound in shackles. Like a prisoner._

_After his failed murder attempt, Neji had been confined and brought before the elders of the main family. Now the entire clan was gathered at the main house, awaiting Hinata's decision for his fate. Every member of the main family voted death for treason, but the final verdict was hers to give. And she was taking a long time to speak._

"_Hinata," Hiashi prodded, glaring down at his daughter. "Hurry up."_

_She swallowed and chanced a glance at Neji._

_He was shooting daggers at her with his eyes, daring her with every fiber of his being to condemn him. She quickly looked away and stifled a cough. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, she lifted her gaze to regard the council with a surprisingly level expression._

"_Let him live."_

_The murmurs started in the crowd as the council gaped at her. They then phased into an uproar._

"_Hinata-sama! Please give the order for the death penalty!" one of the elders exclaimed. "A branch family member attacked you in your sleep! We must be rid of him!"_

"_Then be rid of him," Hinata said._

_The room instantly grew silent as everyone peered at her in confusion._

_Neji's eyes narrowed at her, attempting to determine what she was up to._

"_What do you mean, Hinata?" her father demanded._

_She was staring straight at Neji as her usual timid demeanor momentarily vanished. "Not by execution," she stated calmly. "Exile."_

x-x-x-x-x

_Wrong choice, Hinata-sama._

Because now he was back for her.

At last, he reached his destination. He stood atop the wall enclosed around the Hyuuga compound, panting in gleeful anticipation. The dark building of the main house loomed overhead, reaching two stories and spanning an immense expanse of the compound. Having used up most of his chakra traveling here, he deactivated his Byakugan. She was located somewhere inside.

And he was going to find her.

He flew into motion again, leaping toward the building as his pulse raced in crazed excitement. All he could concentrate on was the fragrance of freesia. He paid no attention to his surroundings as he scaled the side of the building, having located her window on the second floor amongst the numbers. Dimly, he noted in disgust that she was indeed living in comfort. The main house had been renovated since his banishment, and her window was encased in a lavishly decorated balcony.

Trying the lock, he found it unsecured. His heart was pounding loudly in his chest by this time, and as he slipped into the darkened room, he was hit by the overwhelming floral scent. Unexpectedly, his mind was invaded by a torrent of memories that predated his father's death. During these years, he had watched over her, fulfilling his duty as a member of the branch family…not only willingly, but gladly. For her…

_NO!_ he screamed silently as he brought his hands up to grab fistfuls of his hair. _What the hell am I thinking now? I have an objective to accomplish!_

He quickly replaced each pleasant memory with every ounce of anguish he'd ever felt at the hands of the main family. His future, his sanity, his _life_ had all fallen apart because of them. Whatever kindness she'd shown him during their childhood was absolutely irrelevant. The resulting circumstances were what mattered.

Composing himself, he purposefully and stealthily made his way toward her. Oddly, a faint beeping sound reached his ears, but he decidedly ignored it. His growing anticipation multiplied exponentially as his gaze settled on her for the first time in three years.

And he stopped, paralyzed.

Those striking pearl eyes, mirrors of his own…

…Were currently staring right at him.

His pulse, which had been racing uncontrollably for the past two minutes, abruptly ceased.

She was awake, calm, and alone in her bed. Even in the darkness he could make out her slender figure buried beneath the white sheets. As time stood still, he studied her features. Her beauty had blossomed throughout the years. Long blue-violet tresses cascaded down over her shoulders and her unblemished skin looked of a creamy and soft quality. Full rose lips were parted slightly in mild surprise, and her eyes…

Her hand lifted toward the lamp sitting on the nightstand beside her. He found, to his dismay, that he was powerless against her gaze, and he could do nothing as her fingers settled on the switch. Immediately, the lamp's light softly illuminated the room.

His muscles tensed in reaction to the instant change in environment. He tore his sight away from her to escape the beautiful trap of her eyes, and he inwardly cursed his hesitation in carrying out his plan. His hands clenching into tight fists, he glared furiously toward the opposite side of the room. It was then that he noticed his surroundings.

The space didn't look like a bedroom at all… it looked like a hospital room. X-rays of the respiratory system hung on the walls. A white curtain separated the bed from the rest of the room as a makeshift examining area. And the balcony was indeed lavishly decorated… as an altar for the deceased.

Snapping his head back toward her, he came to the harsh realization as he took in the numerous pill bottles littering her nightstand and the IV embedded in her arm. He discovered the source of the mysterious beeping sound in the heart monitor attached to her; each beep was the beat of her heart.

Looking at her more closely, he saw that while she was beautiful, she was also alarmingly pale and thin. Dark circles were present below her eyes, and her tired face showed evidence of her diminishing health. Her expression, although carefully collected and neutral, belied something else about her.

Suddenly, small tidbits of conversation he'd overheard from the main family years ago came rushing to the forefront of his consciousness. At the time, he had shoved them to the back of his mind in order to focus on his hatred, but seeing her like this… it was like opening the floodgates of his buried memories.

"_Weak because she's sickly…"_

"_Terminal illness…"_

"_Few years left to live…"_

"_Will die soon…"_

"_Choose another heir…"_

He had been wrong when he had conjured the image of her living comfortably, of being carefree, of being healthy…

She was terminally ill, bedridden in her own room, hooked up to numerous medical gadgets and machines, dying…

"_Neji-niisan…I'm already dead."_

He had been utterly wrong.

Her mouth moved several times before she was able to speak. "Neji-niisan?" she asked timidly, a slight rasp to her voice.

He visibly winced at the flood of mixed emotions brought on by his name leaving her mouth. Her single spoken word held so many different notes, adding onto the rising havoc in his head. Astonishment, wonder, regret… sorrow.

He balled his hands into fists as he fought through the interferences of his original goal. There was a specific reason why he had come here. No matter what the present situation was, no matter how close she already was to dying…

Her fate, her existence, her being… it all now belonged to him.

Resuming control of himself, summoning every ounce of loathing and hate he'd ever felt for her and the main family, he felt his solid resolve return. But once he prepared to regard her with a sinister, wicked expression, he faltered again.

The air around her was heavy with gloom. There wasn't any sort of spark or light in her face.

The peculiar sadness surrounding her was prominent in nature, and it temporarily nullified his train of thought. There was no sign of hope in those haunting eyes. The craving and mania that he had fostered all these years… the heat of the pursuit of justice suddenly ebbed at the sight of her vulnerable demeanor.

As he stood there, coming to terms with his own undoing, something that he had been unable to identify all these years became clear to him. Everything he'd schemed against her was for nothing.

He was finally able to discern exactly what it was that echoed from behind her calm mask.

The absence of the will to live.

x-x-x-x-x

**A/N:** To add some clarity, the excerpts in italics are from the past, while the normal font represents the present. Also, there is no underlying NejiHina intended here; while that's a relationship that could be accepted in their country of origin, I'm not looking to depict it in my story. Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thank you for reading.


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